Bicycle or other lantern



(No Model.)

. T. WINN. BICYCLE OR OTHER LANTERN.

Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

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THOMAS WINN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW" JERSEY.

BICYCLE OR OTHER LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,452, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed December 9, 1896. Serial No. 615,040. No model.) i

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS WINN, a citizen ofjthe United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bicycle or other Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in bicycle or other lanterns,and has for its object to so construct a lantern of this description as to greatly increase its illuminating power from a given source, thereby enabling a person riding a bicycle at night to more clearly observe the road-bed over which the machine is passing, and also to decrease the consumption of oil and prevent the annoyance which has heretofore been occasioned by the extinguishing of the lantern in passing over rough road-beds or against a strong wind.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, its con struction and operation will now be described in detail,referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lantern built in accordance with my improvement; Fig. 2, a central vertical section of the casing, the retainer or reservoir being in elevation; and Fig.- 3, a section at the line at of 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied I provide a casing A, which may be of any convenient shape and size, here shown as cylindrical, and formed with the lower portion of this casing is a collar 13, through which the burner O of the retainer or reservoir D is adapted to pass, and in order that the burner may be secured to the collar when passed therethrough the flange E of said burner has notches F formed therein, through which the inturned ends of the lugs G are adapted to pass, after which, by turning the burner upon its axis, said lugs will secure the same after the manner of a bayonet-joint, as will be readily understood. To the collar, within the interior thereof, is formed the burner-cap H, which serves to admit the proper circulation of air to support the flame, and this cap is so formed as to provide for the support of the chimney I, and in practice I prefer to guide and support the upper end of this chimney by a ring J or other means, so that when said chimney is in place it willbe properly held relative to the remainder of the lantern.

The reservoir D maybe of any suitable design and is attached to the burner by a threaded collar run upon the threaded shank of said burner in the usual manner, and this reservoir should, be of a capacity sufficient to hold the desired quantity of kerosene or other illuminating oil. A suitable hood K is attached to the upper portion of the casing and is properly ventilated in order that the upflowing air-current from the flame may freely pass from the lantern, and yet so arranged that a downflow of air-currents will be prevented in order that the flame may not be smothered.

A series of perforations L are formed through the outer wallof the collar, and these perforations should be so arranged that while supplying air for combustion suflicient draft will not be created within the casing to lift the flame from the wick.-

Within the casing and lying concentric therewith is a concentrating reflector M, adapted to direct the rays of light outward, for the purpose hereinafter set forth, and against the back of the casing is located a concavo-convex reflector N in such shape as to converge the rays of light thrown thereon by the flame and reflect them outward'through the casing, so that said reflected rays will commingle with the direct outwardly-tending rays from the flame to illuminate the space in front of the lantern.

0 represents the lens tube or housing, which is hinged to the casing in any ordinary manner so as to be swung open, and is also provided with a catch P, whereby it will be secured against being accidentally opened, and a series of perforations Q are formed through the housing next adjacent to that portion thereof which comes in contact with the casing, and these perforations are for the supply of air to the interior-of the casing, which air thus admitted tends to create currents counter to those admitted to the lower ICC portion of the casing, and thus modify the g action of the last-named currents upon the flame. The front end of the housing is externally threaded, as indicated at R, and a cap S is provided with corresponding internal threads, whereby it may be run upon this end of the housingfor the purpose of holding a disk of glass T over the front end of said housing, and it is preferred that the threaded end of the housing be somewhat thickened and the flange of the cap made of sufficient width to insure the proper amount of strength of this portion of the housing when the cap is in place in order that it may not be collapsed by reasonable pressures, which would otherwise injure those parts of the lantern which are inclosed within the housing. A reflector U, of the general shape of a truncated cone, is located within the housing and there held by the glass disk and the band V, which latter is also secured within the housing and is of the general shape of said reflector.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that the operation of my improved lantern will be as follows: The lamp is lighted by removing the burner from the casing, which is permitted by the bayonet-joint before described, and when thus removed the chimney remains in place within the casing, so that when the lamp is lighted and returned to its place the burner will pass within said chimney. Now the light from the flame proceeding in all directions will be projected against the concavo-convex reflector N, the concentrating-reflector M, as well as a portion thereof, passing forward through the housing and glass disk, and that portion of the light which strikes the concavo-convex reflector N will be turned outward and the rays thereof converged toward the focus of said reflector, thereby commingling with both the rays which are deflected by the concentrating-reflector and those which are proceeding directly from the flame outward, thus concentrating the entire illuminating power of the flame within a given space in front of the lantern, and this is still further accomplished and intensified by the action of the reflector U, which will receive any rays projected ata suflicient angle to the focus-line and deflect them outward.

Since no lens is used at the outer end of the housing, the rays of light passing from said housing will illuminate a much larger space than would otherwise be the case were they converged inward from this point, while at the same time the reflector,as above described, will give to the illuminated field a far greater intensity than it is possible to produce by the passage of the rays through a lens. By experiment and comparison I have demonstrated that a lantern built in accordance with my improvement with a given source of light will exceed by many times any illuminating effect a lantern utilizing a lens not a magnifying-reflector.

The reflectors utilized in my improved construction may be made in any well-known or desirable manner; but I prefer that the concavo-convex reflector shall be of glass having a silver backing. The remaining reflectors may be either of glass thus silvered or they may be of highly-polished metal, and the reflectors may be separated from direct contact with the casin g and housing by the interposition of a suitable filling or packing, such as asbestos, and such a filling would have the further desirable effect of absorbing a certain amount of heat transmitted to the reflectors, thereby preventing the latter from being unduly heated.

The hood may be attached to the lantern in any convenient manner, so that it may be quickly and easily detached. The other. parts are also made detachable, .thus facilitating the cleaning of the lantern by those of little or no experience in such matters.

One of the advantages of a lantern built in accordance with my improvement is that the flame is maintained within the chimney and therefore is not affected to the same extent by the drafts within the casing, as would. otherwise be the case, and, as is well known, a flame thus maintained within a chimney more nearly produces perfect combustion than in any other conditions. Therefore said flame gives forth an exceedingly white light with high illuminating power.

A series of perforations \V is formed through the rear portion of the casin g and has the cffeet of permitting an outflow of the air admitted by the perforations, and this air in its passage through the casing tends to cool the reflectors, thus preventing their undue heating.

Any suitable bracket may be provided for the securcment of the lantern to the bicycle. The reflector U may be inclosed within a ban (1 of spun metal, between which and the reflector the asbestos packing may be placed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In combination with a bicycle-lamp having a cylindrical casing, a reflector placed at one end of the casing, a second reflector placed in the lens-housing, and a third reflector cylindrical in form detachably secured in the casing, concentric tl1erewitl1,-as and for the purpose described.

2. In a bicycle-lamp, a cylindrical casing in a horizontal position, a reflector at one end of the casing, a reflector having the shape of a truncated cone detachably secured in the housing, a cylindrical reflector detachably secured in the casing concentric therewith, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignatu re in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TIIOMAS \VINN.

\Vitnesses:

S. S. XVILLIAiusoN, F. MATTNER. 

